Suitcase



A. C. ATKI NS vMay 27, 1930.

SUITCASE Filed Aug. 22. 1927 Patented May 27, 1930 i Y y l y UNITED,- STATES IAfllflafr orifice Application led August 22, 1927, Serial N'o. 214,730, and in Great Britain September 25, 1926.`

This invention relates to variable capacity upon the first element to engage one or more boxes, suit cases, trunks and the like of the of the perforations or holes, but which when type comprising a topportion or cover comthe second element is raised allows the tooth ing over a lower or box portion and having or pawl to be disengaged from the hole or extensible hinges and fastening devices adaptholes so as to enable the third e-lement to slide 55 ed to be looked in any position, secured to the with respect to the second element. The ad- V front and rear walls of the portions so that jacent wall of the box or cover portion is conthe box, suit case, trunk or the like may be nected tothe outer end of the third mentioned locked when closed in any extended position. element say by means of a hinge plate, or in In general, boxes, cases, trunks or the like some cases a spring or other hasp may be at- 50 of the above type constructed according to tached to the outer end ofthe third mentioned the invention have the top portion or cover element,wherethecombined device is intended of rectangular vertical cross section from to function as the hasp of a lock. Means may front to back. The lower or vbox portion has be added vfor limiting the movement of the a rectangular base and a rear wall at right second element with respect to the first ele- 65 angles thereto. A short distance upward ment to the angular displacement strictly from the base, this rear wall is stepped innecessary to allow the pawl, pin or the like wards to a slight extent and then `proceeds to be lifted 'from the perforations, slots or upwards parallel to the first portion at right the likey in the iirst element. n k

ang-16S to the base;v TheJ from; Wall 0f the In .order that the invention may be better o lower 01- bOX portion is at right anglesfto UIldeIStOOl, it Will nOWbe deSCIibeClWitll' w-here it joins the base and for a short'disreference to the accompanying drawingsl in v tance up and then it inclines or curvesslightly which I-j v towards the rear wall, the inclination or cur- Fig l iS a somewhat diagrammatic secy vature increasing ifdesired towards the uptional side elevation of a suit case or the like "o per edge. When the portions are assembled Constructed according to the invention with together to give the minimum capacity the the parts arranged to give the minimum ca lower edge ofthe rear wall of the cover porpacity. tion comes inst above the step on the rear Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. l but with wall of the box portionand the depth ofthe lthe parts arranged to give a maximum capac- '80 step is such that the outer exposed surfaces ity, and f of the rear walls come in the same plane Fig. 3 is a perspective view shewing the which is at right angles to the top and base CaSe Open. f of the box, case, trunk or ythe like. l Thecase shewn in the drawing has an upper y In this position also the lower edge of the portion or cover 4 and alower portion or box front of the cover portion completely covers 5. The top, sides, back and frontof the cover theinclined or curved front of the box porare rectangular and the cover is rectangular tion and overlaps to a certain extent the part incross section from end to end andfrontto of the front wall of the box portion which is back. y v l Aat right angles to the base, c The lower or box portion 'has a rectangu- Preferably the extensible hinges andffaslar `base anda rear wall 6 at right angles i tening devices comprise each an element pro-V thereto. A short distance up, this rear wall vided with a series of perforations,v holes, is stepped inwards to a slight extent at 7 `and slots or their equivalents 'and each is turf then proceeds upwards parallel to theirst nished with means for attaching it to one portion at rightangles to the base. The frontof the walls of the cover or box portion. This wall 8 of the lower or box portion is at right has hinged to one end'a second element, which angles to where itjoins the base and for a lslidably carriesathird element provided with short distance up and then it inclines or a pawl, pin, tooth or `its equivalent,rwhich is curves slightly at 9 towards the rear wall, the adapted when the second element is lowered inclination or curvature increasing if desired towards the upper edge. When the Y- portions are assembled together to give theV minimum capacity the lower edge 10 of the rear wall of the 'cover portion 4 comes just above the step 7 on the rear wall 6 of the box portion andthe depth of the step is such that the outer exposed surfaces of the rear walls of the cover and box come in the vsaine vplane which is at right angles to the top and base of the box, case, trunk or the like.

YIn this position alsothe lower edge. Ilot' the-front of thecover portion completely covers the inclined or curved front 9 of the box portion and overlaps to a certain extentV the ypartotl the front wall of the box portionV which is at right angles to the base. Y

Carrying handles'of any suitable type. may

, be employed for example a single handle Y such as 12.1nay be attached to the frontV of the cover portion towards its' lower edge and preferably so disposed that the case or the like hangs straight down when filled to acapacity midway between' the minimum and maximum. In other forms, the handle could p aol be connected to the front of the box ,ortion or two co-operating handles could e employed, one on the cover portion and one on the box portion. Y

Bumpers or feet 13 to a desired number `may be provided on the base'of the box portionv 5 and also such as 14 on the rear walls of the cover and boxk portions. Further as the exposed portions of the rear walls come;

in the .same plane the bumpers or ffeet, .lll

vthereon can be `of the same size and type.

`As a general result of the construction of i the box, case or the like,v it-'stands square when restedupon the rear walls of the cover and box portions7 that is to say in prefer-red constructions on the bumpers` or feet fitted thereto. Y

The bumpers or feet von' these rear ,walls also act 1n a known manner as` protectors for the extensible hinge devices fitted to the rear Y Walls.

In one particular method of constructing the extensible hinged or fasteningfdevice a first element 15 comprised by a channel plate n is provided, closed'at one end 16 andopen at Vso Vedges are ada 'ted .to fit between and come on the inside of t ey first mentioned channel plate 15. Thissecond or inner channel plate 18 is u open at 'one end 19 and is connected by a hinge to the neighbourhood of the closed'endv 16 of the first mentioned channel plate 15.V

Slidable on the interior of Vthe secondrnenvtioned channel plate` 18, and suitably retained therein by a band Vor bands or the like,

is a bar, strip, channel plate or the like 21 constituting the third element and furnished with a pawlQpin or the like at the inner end (not shewn), which is so formed and mounted that whenl the second or inner channel plate 18vis lowered into the first mentioned turned upwards upon its hinge 2() as she'wn dotted in Figs. 1 andl 2, the pawl or the like brought into such a position as to be free,V

from the perforations. l

The construction is further preferably such that the inner .channel plate 18,. can only be turned up through a limited angle, that 1s plate'l5 the pin, pawl or its equivalent is i adaptedto engage with the vholes or the like, whilst when the inner channel plate 18 1s through an anglesuflicient to enable the. third element 21 to be raised `suliciently to raise the pawl out of engagement with t holes or perforationsf y f e hole or Y Either the second portion 22 of the hinge y n which isl attached to the rear wall l6, of the box portion 5, or a spring or other hasp 23.01"

other required second member of lsuch fastening device which comesat `the front 1s also attached to the outery end of, the .sli'dable member 21 which carries the pawl, pin or the like.

y With the fastening device or the likecon- 1 structed as just described, where it is neceS.- l

sary to lengthen the said device,r it is simply requisite to raise the inner channel plate 1 8v to a sufficient extent to enable the paWL-pili` Y or the like tobe Vbrought outof engagement,

:whereupon the telescoping portion 21 'can be ldrawn Yout to. any required extent. `"Qn the t other hand, the projecting length ofthe telescoping portion 21 may be reduced,v to suit requirements by simplypushing in the said .g portion, the pin or pawl slipping and engaging or locking with anydesiredholepr per- Y foration when the fastener has been reduced n to the required length. t Y

Thepawhpin or the like and its co-operating slots or thelike areY alsopreferably of such character that when thepawl orthe like is in engagement Vwith the slots or the like, the extensible hinges or fastenings can, only be shortened.v It is preferred to locate t-he extensiblefastenings which come on thefront walls of the box, case, trunk or .the like, beneath the' ends of the handle in the case Vwhere this is fas-V tened to the cover portion, such for example as the handle 12, Aand as shewn on the draw-l 1ings, so that the handle vacts as a for'these ia'stenings.` Y

In some forms of box, case or thelike a longitudinally extending strip orlillet such Vas 2t shewn dotted in Fig. 2) may be, at.-A -tached to or form partof the body member.

This fillet comes towards the upper end and protector fills the slight gap which otherwise inightbe f left between the lowerledge` of the cover and iso the upper edge of the box' or body when the parts are set to give a maximum capacity.

The invention is not limited to the particular forms or details of construction described as these may be varied to suit particular cases. v What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is v ,A variable capacity box, suit case, trunk l0 or the like, comprising a top portion of rectangular cross section from front to back and from side toy side and a lower portion having a rectangular base and a rear wall at right angles thereto, said rear wall having an inwardly extending step a short distance above the base and the front wall of the lower portion being at right angles to the base at its front end and inclined slightly toward the rear wall at its upper end, the lower edge of A, the rear wall of the top portion bearing against the rear wall of the lower portion and above the step when the parts are assembled for minimum capacity so that the outer eX- posed surface of the rear walls of the top portion and lower portion are in the same vertical plane and longitudinally extensible connecting and securing means between the said portions comprising a member hingedly connected to the top portion and a member so detachably connected to the lower portion at the point opposite the step.

In witness whereof I aiiix my signature.

ALFRED CHARLES ATKINS. 

